Life-raft.



J. O. SCHL EIGHER.

LIFE RAFT.

AYPLIOATION FILED MAY 25, 1912.

Patented July 8, 1913.

avwewto'c Gum/"1190 COLUMBIA PLANOCIRM'H E(L,\\'ASHANGTUN, n. c.

UNITED STATES .rkTENT FXCE.

LIFE-RAFT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1913.

Application filed May 25, 191?. Serial No. 699,777.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I. JOHN C. Semester-Inn, acitizen of the United States. residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of\Vcstchestcr and State. of New York, have invented certain new amtusefulImprovements in Life- Rafts; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use thesame.

This invention relates to the class of boats. and more especially tolife rafts; and the object of the same is to produce a raft of thischaracter having air-tight compartments in its sections so that if oneor more of said compartments should be punctured or broken open by roughhandling either on shipboard or in the water, the devicewould not sink.

A further object is to construct the device in such manner that a numberof rafts of this kindcan be nest-ed into small co1npass on shipboard,and a yet further object is to provide the raft with receptacles forfood and drink.

Other objects: will appear in the following specification and claims,and the detailed construction of the whole invention is shown in thedrawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan'view of this raft complete; Fig. 2is r a longitudinal sectional View on the line '2--2 of Fig. 1, showingone of the food receptacles in dotted lines in raised position: Fig. 3is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig 4 is an endelevation showing the use of this raft.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a central section, and 2 and 3are side sec tions, each of which is preferably rectangularin. contouras seen in Fig. 3 and may be made of wood. metal, or other materialwhichis water-tight, the forward and rearward ends of each section beingpointed as at 4, the cent 'al section longer than the other two anddisposed between them. and all sections being spaced. Thus is built up acatamaran type of raft between whose sections the water and waves maypass as the raft is drawn forward propelled by its occupant The sectionsare held in spaced position by transverse rods 5 preferably securedthrough the various sections near their tops as best seen in Fig. 3, andhaving upturned ends 6 outside the outermost section; and said endscarry a hand rail 7 which passes bodies.

along outside each outermost section, the two hand rails con verging asat S at the ends of this raft. and being joined as at 9, and said endportion being sustained by brackets 10 rising from the ends 4 of thevarious sec tions. Along the inner side of the outermost sections 2 and3, and also along both sides of the central section 1, are swung ropes11 mounted in any suitable supports such as eyes 12 on the sides of thesection Thus each section is provided with a hand rail at both sides,that on the central section 1 being composed of two ropes, and that oneach side section being composed of one rope and one "ail 7 which ispreferably of stout metal tubing.

For handling this improved raft a sling is employed which by preferenceconsists of two ropes 20 and 21, each having both ends attached to theends 0 of one of the rods 5 at points 22, and its center carrying hooks23; and with the two hooks is engaged a ring 24 which may be connectedwith a block-and-taekle mechanism on shipboard or elsewhere so that theentire raft can be lowered into the water or raised out of the same. Atother-times. either hook 23 may be disconnected from the. ring 24;, andeither or both of the ropes 90 and 21 turned over beyond thecorresponding end of the raft, sothat the latter may be towed or so thattwo of these rafts may be connected with each other. When not in use thesling drops down on to the body of the raft, and two or more of thelatter maybe nested as seen in Fig. 3 where the sections of theuppermost raft are shown in dotted lines as passing inside the metallichand rails 7 of the lowermost raft, and for this purpose the ends 6 ofthe rods 5 are deflected outward to a. slight degree as shown. In" thedrawings l have shown four such rods extending across the raft andconnecting at. several sections. but it will be obvious that a greateror lesser number thereof may be employed.

The detailed construction of each section is unimportant save thatlwould have it provided with transverse partitions 30 so as to produce anumber of air-tight compare ments 31, and by preference I would providethe entire section with one horizontal partt tion 32 rather nearer thebottom than the t p f the eompartn'lcnt, and producingjbe neath it aseries of smaller divisions iii-iof the air-tight compartments 31. Thisdetail of construction is purposely employed because I consider it morelikely that injuries to the shell of the raft will occur from below thanfrom above, and if the puncture or break should occur within said shellof any section it would be better to have it destroy the usefulness of asmaller division 33 of one of the compartments, than a larger division31 above the horizontal partition 32, because then the buoyantproperties of the larger division would be retained. Moreover thisdetail of construction provides bracing elements crossing each otherwithin the shell of each section, because the transverse partitions 30where they intersect the horizontal partitions 32 must be connectedtherewith in an air-tight manner not necessary to amplify in the presentspecification.

Between the sections and on cross rods or shafts 40 I preferably hingereceptacles 41 and 42 for food and fresh water, each by preference beingin the form of a canister whose closure is a screw top 43 which must ofcourse be water-tight. The point of hinging is at the lower rear cornerof each receptacle when the latter stands upright as shown in dot-tedlines in Fig. 2, and at this time its body rests against one of thecross rods 5 and needs no further support; whereas an additional crossrod or support 44 is provided within the channel between the twocontiguous sections to sustain this receptacle in horizontal position asseen in full lines in Fig. 2 so that the rafts may be nested asillustrated in Fig. 3.

In use a number of these rafts are nested together as illustrated inFig. 3, stored in a pile on deck or elsewhere, and preferably lashed sothat they will not be washed overboard in times of storm. When nowoccasion arises for the use of these rafts, the lashings are severed,the hooks 23 engaged with the rings 24 so as to make each slingcomplete. block-and-tackle mechanism is engaged with the ring 24 and theuppermost raft lifted off the pile or stack, swung out over the water.and lowered. The passengers meanwhile mav or may not don life preservers(although the same are not necessary with the raft), but I would preferthat they should put on water-proof garments 50 covering their feet andlimbs and rising above the waist line as indicated in Fig. 4, for apurpose to appear, and these. of course will serve the function ofprotecting from the elements such parts of the passengers as are coveredby the garments. The passengers then take their seats astride thesections as indicated in Fig. 4, with their feet and lower limbsextending downward into the channels between the raft-sections and intothe water. and their hands grasping the hand rails as shown. When theraft is filled to its capacity the sections will doubtless sink belowthe water level, but the buoyant properties of the garments 50 worn bythe passengers will prevent them and the raft from sinking completely.From time to time the passenger or sailor nearest the receptaclesremoves their closures 43 and gives out rations. while others propel theraft by means of paddles or by paddling in the water with their feetorhands; or if the raft is adjacent some boat or power craft, one of theropes 20 may be unhooked at 23 from the ring 24 and carried over the bowof the raft so that the latter can be towed.

I have purposely omitted details as'to proportions and materials ofparts, and amplifications of the general idea may be made withoutdeparting from its principle.

hat is claimed as new is 1. The herein described life raft of catamarantype, each section of the same being a shell-like structure pointed atits extremities, cross rods extending through the various sections andhaving water-tight connection with their walls and turned upward attheir outer ends at the sides of the raft, and hand rails connecting theupturned extremities of said rods and themselves extending around theends of the raft and joined.

2. The herein described life raft of catamaran type, each sect-ion ofthe same being a shell-like structure pointed at its extremities, andhaving transverse and horizontal internal partitions producing air-tightcompartments therein, cross rods extending through the various sectionsand having water-tight connection with their walls and turned upward attheir outer ends at the sides of the raft, hand rails connecting theupturned extremities of said rods and themselves extending around theends of the raft and joined, and other hand rails along the inner sidesof the side sections.

3. The herein described life raft of catamaran type, each section of thesame being a shell-like structure'pointed at its extremities. cross rodsextending through the various sections and having water-tight connectionwith their walls and turned upward at their outer ends at the sides ofthe raft, hand rails connecting the upturned extremities of said rodsand themselves extending around the ends of the raft and joined eyessecured in the side walls of all intermediate sections and the innerside walls of the outermost sections, and other hand rails consisting ofropes rove through said eyes and secured at their extremities to thesections.

4. In a life raft of the catamaran type, the combination with aplurality of sections, and means for holding them in special relation;of rods across the channels between said sections, a receptacle hingedat one lower corner on one of said rods in posit1on to rest against oneof sa1d connecting means when said receptacle is-upright and to lie uponthe other cross rod When the re- 1 ceptacle is lowered into the channel,and a water-tight closure for the receptacle.

The herein described life raft of catations. maran type, cross rodsextending through i In testimony whereof I have hereunto set the varioussections and turned upward at 1 my hand in presence of two subscribingwit outermost sections, and other hand rails consisting of ropes rovethrough sald eyes and secured at their extremities to the sectheir outerends at the sides of the raft, i nesses.

hand rails connectin the unturned extremi- M ties of said rods an dthemselves extending JOHN SCIILEICHER' around the ends of the raft andjoined, eyes \Vitnesses:

secured in the side walls of all intermediate l w J B l. USSIUS.

sections and the inner side Walls of the Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,Washington, I). C.

